We’re already two months into 2026, and now’s a great time to envision and plan out your professional goals for the year. Upcoming learning opportunities from UCOP Learning and Development — offered at no charge to UCOP staff — can help you reach your goals while also building a meaningful network of colleagues throughout our organization.

Cohort learning — deadlines extended

There’s still time to apply for two popular cohort (group) learning opportunities! Select each program name to learn more.

UC Peer Connections is a self-driven UC peer-to-peer networking program that aims to enhance employee connection and belonging within UCOP and across the system through meaningful relationships. Complete the UC Peer Connections application by March 5.

UCOP People Management Integrated Learning Program (PM-ILP), which supports current and aspiring people managers in building leadership and management skills, is UCOP’s highest-rated cohort. Complete the 2026 P.M.-ILP Program Application by Friday, March 13.

Live classes and workshops

Select each Link below to register; listings reflect Pacific Time. Unless stated otherwise, classes take place online via Zoom.

Technology and project management

Excel Intermediate/Advanced
March 4 & 11, 9 a.m. –12 p.m.
Microsoft Excel has hundreds of features and functions. In this two-session course, we’ll cover core Excel features and featured tools, including SumIFs, AveregeIFs and CountIFs; tables with structured referencing; and Pivot Tables. Attendance is required for the two sessions.

Smartsheet Essentials: Project Planning Made Simple
March 5, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Learn the core skills needed to manage projects effectively using Smartsheet in this foundational session, designed for new users and project managers seeking to understand how to leverage Smartsheet for project planning and execution. Through practical demonstrations, real-world scenarios and hands-on activities, participants will gain the knowledge to set up and manage and organize projects confidently, using features such as Gantt charts, task assignments, and resource allocation. This course is part of the UCOP Project Management Collection.

UCOP Creating Accessible Documents 2: PDFs
March 23, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Building from skills gained in the Creating Accessible Documents 1: MS Office training (a pre-requisite to this course), this session offers a deep dive into using Adobe Acrobat Pro to manipulate, tag and test PDF documents for accessibility. We will cover tagging documents, common accessibility errors, tables and building accessible PDF forms. To fully participate in this class, you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Pro (not just Acrobat Reader) installed on your computer. Learn how to request software.

Communication and change management

Change Essentials
March 5, 12 & 26, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Change Essentials is based on the best-selling book, “Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions,” by Dr. John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber. Dr. Kotter’s research revealed eight key steps and four critical leadership principles that, when applied effectively, help to ensure successful change. This three-part workshop will provide you with a foundational level of knowledge and skill to help you identify strategies to apply those steps and principles to a current or anticipated change within a department, or as part of a broader organizational change initiative.

Difficult Conversations
March 6, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Have you ever disagreed with someone where the conversation didn’t go quite how you wanted? Conflict is inevitable. This highly interactive course will explore strategies for navigating difficult conversations in your personal and professional life. You’ll learn core principles for successfully navigating disagreements, then apply them through practice role-playing. By the end of the workshop, you’ll feel more confident in approaching difficult conversations with anyone.

Delivery Skills for Connecting with Your Audience
March 17, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Public speaking and giving formal and informal presentations can be uncomfortable and daunting. Luckily, delivery skills can be practiced and improved with each presentation. In this interactive session, we will identify presentation anxieties, learn how to prepare for them, explore various presentation styles and audience-engagement techniques and review tips and tricks to make your next presentation a success. Please bring a recent presentation, outline or presentation idea to practice. This course is part of the UCOP Communication series certificate.

Managing Up: Cultivating a Partnership with Your Manager
March 18, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Come explore ways to develop a mutually beneficial working relationship with your supervisor as an individual contributor. We will explore how individual contributors can develop trust by exploring their manager’s perspective, advocating for themselves and providing upward feedback.

Safety and well-being

UCOP Wellbeing Monthly Lunch and Chat: From Snap Judgments to Self-Awareness: A Midday Conversation 
March 6, 12:10 – 12:55 p.m.
Take a mindful pause in your day to attend this virtual monthly series, designed for individual and collective well-being. There will be space for reflection, discussion and real-life application. In the March session, we’ll explore the power of transforming our outlook from snap judgment to self-awareness. Judging others is a very human thing to do, but by becoming more aware and compassionate, we can help create a more understanding and kinder world for everyone.

UCOP Safety: Active Attacker Training
March 19, 1 – 2 p.m.
This live virtual class will teach you skills and strategies to respond if you’re exposed to an active-attacker situation. We’ll review real-life incidents and discuss options in the event of similar encounters.

For people managers

ME@UCOP: Compensation
March 3, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Courses in the Manager Essentials at UCOP (ME@UCOP) series are required for all staff who are new to a management or supervisory position. Experienced managers are also welcome to join us. In this session, we will discuss UCOP compensation policies and procedures, including promotion and equity, salary range offers, hiring, bargaining units, career tracks, position descriptions and Job Builder by JDX.

People Leader Forum: STEP Tips and Support
Friday, March 6, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
The People Leader Forum is a monthly opportunity for people managers to connect with one another to develop leadership skills, build community, share best practices, swap strategies for navigating current challenges and learn to better support themselves and their teams. In our March session, we’ll focus on helpful tips to support you throughout the STEP performance appraisal process. Explore all People Leader Forum topics.

GROW Plus: Accountability Conversations for Managers
March 13, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
This is the second part of the required live training series on manager and employee performance conversations. This training answers the question: “What do I do when my coaching is not improving performance?” In this virtual, live and highly interactive workshop, we will cover: providing productive critical feedback, managing emotions, creating efficient documentation and holding effective accountability conversations. Managers will also practice role-playing accountability conversations using the UCOP GROW Plus framework.

ME@UCOP: Budget & Business Resource Center (BRC)
March 24, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Courses in the Manager Essentials at UCOP (ME@UCOP) series are required for all staff who are new to a management or supervisory position. Experienced managers are also welcome to join us. In this session, we’ll discuss the UCOP budget process and landscape, including the BRC. Topics will include budget processes and timelines, UCOP Integrated Financial Systems (PBS and FIS) and BRC teams, services, trainings and resources.

Check out all upcoming classes on the Link Classes and Workshops page. For questions, contact ucopld@ucop.edu.

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